05/30/2024
Love this.
Lived in Prague fur 4 months with about 10 articles of clothing + socks and un**es. Cheers to packing light and traveling easy.
I self-published the first edition of my travel skills handbook, “Europe Through the Back Door,” in 1980 — and flipping through that original book now, I’m struck by how good travel remains fundamentally the same, even though many of the specifics about traveling in Europe are dramatically different.
If you ever wondered how young Rick managed to travel for months at a time with one small rucksack, here was my recommended “Pack Light” list for summer travel:
☐ One pair long pants
☐ Walking shorts with plenty of pockets – doubles as a swimsuit
☐ Two T-shirts
☐ Long-sleeved shirt
☐ Dark, warm sweater – for warmth and for dressing up; it never looks wrinkled or dirty
☐ Light windbreaker jacket – folds up into pocket
☐ Underwear and socks – two sets
☐ One pair of shoes – sturdy sole, light, cool, comfortable, good-looking top
☐ Women’s extras – summer dress, swimsuit
Our packing tips — and all the other advice we share with travelers in the 40th edition of “Europe Through the Back Door” — is more sophisticated than it was back then. (But fundamentally, my packing list has changed very little.)
What’s changed since your early days of travel — and what hasn’t?
